Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-06-24
A NEW INDUSTRY.
Gypsum and Plaster of Paris Found
in ExhastIess Quantities In
Hardeman County.
a Source of Wealth That Ranks With
Goal In the Industrial Estimates
of the Country.

of the Country
Major John Adamson of Quanah. OF
his way east, gave a GAZETTE reporter
considerable Information regarding thG
resources of Hsrdeman county. The dis.
covery of large deposits of gypsum OF
plaster of paris is destined at no distant
day to form one Of the greatest and most
profitable industries of the state,
Major Adamson says that ample water
power can be had on Groesbeeck creek, "a
water course having rock bottom, and
banks, and being admirably adapted for
the location of gypsum mills, and being
surrounded by miles Of the finest quality
OF gypsum. There are but few states
that do not use fertilizers and it is ex-
peCted that this industry when once
opened up will rapidly grow TO enor-
nous proportions. The fact that three
/ different veins of coal have been discov-
eredin the county gives 8 brighter out
| look, as steam mills can be run at small
cost. From the Quanah Advance we clip
the following which, from its tenor aud
perspieuous thoroughnsss, can easily be
recognized as the product of Major Adam
sons pen:
The extensive deposits of gypsum or
plaster Of paris existing in Hardeman
county are beginning to attract the atten-
ton Of parties engaged in the manufac-
ture OF commercial fertilizers throughout
the United States.
About three-fourths of the product of
the gypsum or plaster factories in the
United States is used as fertilizer, either
in it's pure state Or as one Of the compo-
nent parts of the many composts that OBJ
tain favor with the agricultural commu-
nifty.
Imported guano, as well as the native
deposits OF the same character, found in
bat caves and otner places in this
country have their preservstive and fer
tilizing qualities measureably increased
by the addition of gypsum.
Fertilizers are largely used in the cot
ton and tobacco growing states, by farm
ers in New York, New England and md
die state and gardeners who supply large
cities, and the thickly populated country
with vegetables.
The gypsum found in Hardeman county
ranks with the very best quality OF the
imported article. 1t is absolutely pure.
The deposits heretofore found in this
IL
which, according TO the quantity CON
tanned, detracts from the merchantable
value of the gypsum.
The dry atmosphere of the Panhandle
is much more favorable to the manu-
fsCture of plaster of paris than the
humid atmosphere in which the existing
factories are situated, which must neces- |
sarily be the case, located as they are, but
short distance from the sea coast.
Damp destroys the best qualities of
gypsum, either as fetilizer or plaster,
but 1t is never Injured by age, when care
fully stored.
From q gentleman who has been inter
ested IN one Of the largest plaster
factories in America we gather the
following information: The largest
gypsum mills Cor plaster mills as they
are locally called are. situated at Balti-
more, Md; Alexander, Va; Cul-
pepper, Va; Richmond, Va. Lynch |
burg, Va; Saltville, Va, and
Charleston, S. c.. The raw material these
mills grind is only partially supplied by
the local product, their main reliance be- |
ing what comes from Nova Scotia,
country many miles distant, and subject
to fluctuations of import and export du-
ties, over which they have no control.
Plaster of paris is manufactured in the |
following manner:
THE GYPSUM
is received in it's Ratur6l state at the mill |
and stored under shelter. It is taken |
from the storehouse as needed and put /
through rock crusher, which reduces |
the large bodies to q proper size. 1t is /
then carried from the spout leading from
the crusher to the eye OF the stones which
grind it to palpabie powder, the product
being discharged through pipe, from
which the sacks are filed.
The entire machinery much resembles
tne old-fashioned grist mill.
Plaster crushers are Of varying sizes,
ranging from q capacity of from ten 10
thirty tons per diem. One man can feed
q thirty ton crusher. The cost of manu-
faCture is about so cents per ton, sacking
10 cents per ton, labor 30 cents per ton.
Sacks cost 10 cents each and hold 900
pounds. The buyer is given credit for
of the value of the sack
when they are returned.
The cost of plaster free on board carS1.
(allowing so cents per ton for mining II
would be 50 10 per ton. The price of
plaster in the markets of this country va
ries from Sl2 to SIS per ton; the lowest
price it has ever sold tor is SO per ton.
The principal markets for gypsum fer
siLzers are found in Maryland, Virginia,
North and South Carolina, Georgia, Dele
ware, New Jersey, the sandy land of New
York state, skirting the Atlantic coast,
and the New England states.
GYPSUM OR PLASTER OF PARIS
IAN be produced in Hardeman county at .
! minimum. 1t can be supplied to the
mill at so cents per ton; rnanufacturedat.l
80 cents per ton, sacked for 70eents per
ON and loaded on the cars at 80 cents per
on. ss@sstE.
Cheap transportation is all that Is II
leeded to make gypsum marketable and
ransportable commodity from which the 81